


we dance to the rhythm of our hearts

by BookFangirlMaryJane



Series: Thoschei Spyvember Prompts [9]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: 13 in a suit, Dancing, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Heist, Kissing, Post-Episode: s12e10 The Timeless Children, Slow Dancing, Somewhat, Spoilers, Spyvember Prompts (Doctor Who), Texting, Thoschei, Undercover as a Couple, but no details because I'm pants at dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:20:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27723406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookFangirlMaryJane/pseuds/BookFangirlMaryJane
Summary: The Doctor and O are at a party. Undercover. Because apparently, even sonic-modulated phones sometimes catch a stray message from the wrong time.--o--Written for Spyvember (by ineternity and Valc0), prompt was 'Slow Dancing'.Warning: spoilers for series 12. Also kissing.
Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor/The Master (Dhawan)
Series: Thoschei Spyvember Prompts [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2017984
Comments: 12
Kudos: 44





	we dance to the rhythm of our hearts

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so remember when I said yesterday that I didn't write for two days and then wrote 5,000 words on the fly? Heh. Because that just happened again.
> 
> Warning: spoilers and kissing. It's kinda fluff, but it's more funny and soft. This one has slight Heist Vibes. And no, I won't elaborate.
> 
> Feel free to imagine whatever songs you like. I have absolutely no idea which songs are good to dance to. You may also imagine the actual dance moves, as I didn't go into detail because the only dance I know is Waltz.
> 
> Read on!

She gets the message on a trip to London, 2018, as she’s finishing up warning Kate Steward about U.N.I.T.’s future collapse (and subsequently asking for a refreshed U.N.I.T. ID, since apparently, humans don’t respect her authority when she tells them her name is John Smith). It’s clearly not meant for her but for the past Doctor, given who sent it.

**_‘Hello Doctor._**

**_I wanted to ask if maybe you’re free in a week’s time. C assigned me an undercover job at a party, and it’d be less suspicious for me to show up with a date._ **

**_Not that it’s a date. If you don’t want that._ **

**_Thing is, this is my first real undercover operation, and I’d feel better having someone I know by my side, as my plus one._ **

**_But only if you want to and have time.’_ **

At first, she just stares at the screen. Then she throws her phone across the room. Then she picks it back up and writes a reply. Then she deletes the reply, since it’s very strong-worded and not meant for the Master who’s pretending to be O but the Master she left on Gallifrey.

For a few hours she agonizes over the message. Is she supposed to decline? Is she supposed to accept? Will she gain anything from this? Will **he** gain anything from this? Should she try to gain anything from this? Will he realize she’s the wrong Doctor? Does she **want** him to realize she’s the wrong Doctor?

_(She doesn’t have to ask if it will hurt. She already knows the answer is yes._

_She also doesn’t have to ask if she is going. She already knows the answer is yes.)_

In the end, she replies with a simple:

_‘I’ve got a time machine, O, I always have time. Especially for you. Just give me the details and I’ll get ready. Haven't been undercover in a while. I hope you don’t mind if I wear a suit, though, not really a dress person.’_

Then she starts off towards her wardrobe. Her suit might need a quick wash before she can wear it again. After that whole Kasaavin debacle… But really, what else is she supposed to wear?

**—o—**

She’s nervously straightening her bow tie, waiting for O to show up. For the Master to show up. She can’t forget that it’s him.

They agreed to meet in front of the big villa five minutes before they were expected to be there, so they can prepare themselves a little. They already talked about the plan for once they’re inside over the phone. Well, texted.

The Doctor, of course, is a little early. She didn’t want to accidentally walk right into a trap. Who knows, maybe this is all an elaborate trick to get one over her.

_(She doesn’t think that’s true, not really, it’s not his style, not if he’s been planning to reveal himself to her at the takeover of the Kasaavin for this long. But he’s surprised her before. She’s just being cautious.)_

Footsteps and then a voice behind her pull the Doctor from her thoughts. “Doctor!” O exclaims with a shy smile and warm eyes. The Master. The Master exclaims. She can’t forget that. His gaze slides from her face down to her suit and back up. “You… you look amazing.”

A smile spreads on her lips. She can’t help it. “You look amazing, too.”

He does. His suit is impeccable and the bow tie is dark purple. She thinks he probably couldn’t resist that little touch of himself in O’s disguise, and it’s dark enough that she almost mistook it for black. It suits him. Black and purple always suited the Master.

_(Red did, too, a long time ago. She tries not to think about it.)_

“T-thank you, Doctor,” he says, looking down with a little smile. When he looks up again, it’s hard to see the Master in his innocent, soft expression. How is he so good at this? So good at pretending to be someone he isn't? She’s been struggling with it. She still is, sometimes.

“Shall we… go inside?” he asks, the perfect picture of nervous excitement, and holds out his arm for her to… What is she supposed to do?

“Uhm,” the Doctor says, staring at his arm. After a tense five seconds, she slowly wraps her own arm around his. “Is this right? I haven't really done this yet.”

Surprise and intrigue appears on O’s face. “You… Oh, I’m sorry. I hadn’t considered…” When he goes to pull away, she tightens her grip. “No, it’s alright. I’m just not used to it. It’s… fine.” It is. It feels nice.

“Okay,” the Master says, and she wonders if he really had no idea that she’s never done this before or if it’s part of some scheme. The gentle way he holds her arm in his suggests maybe he really hadn’t known. Or maybe it’s part of his O persona. O would act like that, all shy and careful and considerate, and **damn** him for that, because it’s exactly what she likes.

“But, Doctor, please tell me if I’m doing something like that again. I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable if I can avoid it.” His eyes are so wide, so imploring, that she can’t help but soften. “Yeah, okay, I’ll do that.”

He gives her a wide smile and it’s easier to see the Master in those smiles, so she grins back and together they walk ahead towards the villa. They’ve got some undercover work to do, after all.

**—o—**

**_‘We need to blend in for a while. Chat with some people, dance for a bit, eat snacks and drink champagne or something. Then, when the man who owns the villa, Mr. Kans, starts to do his big speech, we’ll have time to sneak upstairs and take a look at the data on his laptop. There are several top secret folders that could be potentially life-saving for the whole country.’_ **

_‘So we’re stealing this information?’_

**_‘Yes, inasmuch as you can call it stealing when Kans himself stole the information from another MI6 agent. She was found three days ago. Dead.’_ **

_‘Oh. Alright then. But I make no promises concerning my dancing skills. Dunno if I can still dance as well as I used to.’_

**_‘That’s okay. It’s probably only going to be a few simple dances, anyway. Waltz or something. And if you’re really not good at it, I’ve got a little skill and you just follow my lead.’_ **

_‘Alright then! Sounds like a plan!’_

**—o—**

Their plan, while very good, has to be adjusted slightly the moment the Doctor catches sight of the first man in black suit, chin tipped up, hands folded behind his back and what is obviously a gun in his jacket. The Master spots it only moments after her.

“So much for sneaking off,” she mutters quietly, keeping a smile on her face. “Okay, yes, I didn’t expect… guards. With guns.” He seems honestly surprised by this development. The nervousness is played up, though, that’s all O.

“Alright, we can still work with this.” Several sparks of ideas are racing through the Doctor’s mind. “Let’s stick to the plan until the big speech. Until then, we’re bound to have come up with something better.” The two of them are smart enough to do this.

O nods and they keep walking, following the masses of people in refined suits and pretty dresses into the ballroom of the house. There’s a wide free space in the middle and several buffet tables filled with delicious-smelling food by the walls. A few waiters walk around carrying glasses with champagne and wine and some other drinks the Doctor can’t name off the top of her head.

“Fancy.”

The Master snorts. “It is, isn't it?”

They walk further into the room and come to a stop by one of the buffet tables, far enough away from the other guests as not to be overheard.

With a small frown, the Doctor looks around. “You know, I never really liked fancy parties…” She’s incredibly glad that humans have long since given up on wearing robes and that red suits look ridiculous on humans.

“Oh?” The Master plays up the confused curiosity and a small smile flickers over her lips. “Yeah, not really my thing. My kinds of parties usually end with some explosions and a lot of running.”

“Yes, that sounds more like you,” O says and smiles at her, that crooked little smile that makes her hearts beat faster. She scolds them for it. O is not real. O is dead and this is the Master and… Oh, but he looks **beautiful** like this.

“So,” she says, tries to hide how much that smile threw her, “how about we split up, mingle a bit, and then meet up again?”

With a small nod, the Master agrees. “That sounds good. I’ll see if I can find a way around the guards without alerting them to what we’re planning.” He gently releases her arm and holds her hand in his for a moment longer. “Doctor, please don’t get yourself into trouble. We’ve texted enough for me to know you’re prone to do that.”

Oh, that sneaky…!

“I’ll try, but I can’t promise anything. It’s not like I actively go **looking** for trouble. **It** usually finds **me** , you know?” the Doctor defends herself, only half-joking. A little grin flashes over the Master’s face and then he steps back. “Alright. See you in a bit.”

She watches him turn and confidently stride over to a group of men in suits, striking up a conversation within moments. Wow, she can feel the waves of hypnosis from here! Laying it on a bit strong there, isn't he, for trying to stay low-key?

On the other hand, the Doctor considers, if she didn’t know who he is, she probably wouldn’t have noticed it. He’s clever, building on her trust in humanity, her slight crush on O, her emotions clouding her judgment. He probably could have actively tried to read her mind and she’d have taken half an hour until she even considered the **possibility** that it’s him.

With a little shake of her head she focuses back on the mission. She grabs a small tomato from one of the sandwiches and goes looking for someone to start a conversation with. Surely there are some smart and nice people here!

**—o—**

Why, oh **why** are men such idiots? And why are these women so weirdly judge-y? All three groups of men she’s approached so far only gave her appraising looks and very obviously excluded her from their conversations. It was like they thought just because she’s a woman she doesn’t know how to manage their oversimplified bank systems!

And the women! They take one look at her suit and turn their noses up at her. She hears them giggle and whisper behind her back as she passes them. There is not one single person at this party worth talking to.

Well, there is **one**.

The Doctor turns and looks across the people, trying to find the familiar face of O. Earlier he was talking to those guys by the windows but he’s not there anymore. Great. She wishes, not for the first time, that they didn’t have to pretend not to know anything, so they could at least use a little bit of telepathy. It’s so utterly dull…

Finally, after six boring minutes, she spots the Master, surrounded by several well-dressed women, laughing and looking like he’s having a great time. Watching him like that, seeing some brunette lean closer and rest her hand on his arm does something strange to the Doctor. Her hearts clench, but not in pain. Not really?

She can’t put a name to the emotion, only that she doesn’t like it. It’s a relief, then, when he twists his arm slightly and the woman’s hand slides off again. To everyone else, it probably looked like an accident, but the Doctor knows he did that on purpose.

Carefully slipping between the people mingling around her, she walks over to the group and very deliberately loops her arm into O’s. “Are you having fun, dear?”

She doesn’t know why she said that. Why did she **say** that?!

The Master gives her a quick look, just for a moment, barely a second, and then he recovers and pats her hand. “I am, luv.” Her hearts skip several beats. Luv. “Let me introduce you to these lovely ladies I just met.”

The ‘lovely ladies’ are staring at the two of them, obviously not prepared for this situation. With satisfaction the Doctor notes the way the brunette fidgets with her hair.

“This is Jennifer Pokes, her sister Delilah, over here is Astrid Toulouse and this is Lydia Kinas.” Lydia, huh? The Doctor gives them all a wide, fake-cheerful smile. “Hi. I’m Janey. Great party, isn't it? I’m not really one for fancy things, really, but well, what can you do?” She lets her head drop on O’s shoulder and smiles up at him.

The Master’s lip twitches and she knows he’s absolutely loving this. But, to be honest, so is she. It’s fun, pretending.

_(She doesn’t want to stop pretending, she wants this so much, wants them to be able to do this every single day, oh if only they could…)_

There’s a tension in the air. Lydia is glaring daggers into the Doctor and the other women are openly staring at her suit. Somehow, they don’t seem as enamored with O anymore. What a shame. For some reason, she can’t find it in herself to care all that much.

When the Master tilts his head to the side and then smiles down at her, she knows he’s going to come up with some excuse that gets them out of this awkward situation. He releases her arm and smiles in the group. “If you’ll excuse us. This is Janey’s favorite song.”

The Doctor listens. Oh, he’s **awful**. It is, in a way, but only because Missy used to play it in the quiet moments, when the two of them were down in the Vault, enjoying each other’s company but not really doing anything.

But she just smiles, takes the hand the Master holds out for her and lets him lead her onto the dance floor. As soon as they’re far enough away, he says: “Sorry, I don’t think those women liked you very much. I thought we should probably leave, and dancing seemed the best way. I hope that’s alright with you.”

With a little chuckle, she nods. “It’s perfectly alright, O. I did just barge in. You seemed like you were having a lot of fun.” She doesn’t know why there’s this strange undertone to her voice. O gives her a side-glance.

“Well, not really. They were a bit… overbearing. I’m glad you came to my rescue, Doctor.” Teasing. He’s teasing her. She chuckles.

“Oh no, I mostly came so **you** could rescue **me**. Everyone I tried to talk to was either incredibly rude or incredibly dull.” They’ve reached the dance floor and take up positions. The Master’s hand gently takes hers. She puts her own hand on his arm and feels her hearts stutter when his other hand wraps around her hip, a featherlight touch but it still burns through her suit.

“This is another reason I don’t like fancy parties. Too many stuck-up people.” O chuckles lightly as they begin to sway to the music. It’s a familiar tune, a familiar rhythm, and the steps are easy enough for the Doctor to copy off of him.

It takes her a moment to realize the Master is leading. That’s weird. She usually… “Okay, dancing like this is really strange,” she says aloud, frowning a little as she tries to get used to her new role. “The last time I did this, I was leading.”

O’s eyes widen and he nearly trips. “We can swap, if you want. It didn’t even occur to me that you… That must be incredibly strange for you, Doctor.”

She shrugs and gives him a little smile. “Nah, it’s alright. You’re good at this. I don’t want to… If you’re leading, I can just copy you and cover it up if I make a mistake.” Then she thinks about the rest of his words.

“It’s new, and yes, I suppose it’s a bit strange. But everything was new when I regenerated, so this isn't all that different. I’ll get used to it soon enough.” They turn, slowly, and the Doctor feels the Master pull her towards him a fraction. She follows easily.

“You are very good at dancing, though,” O compliments with a soft smile that she copies right back at him.

“And you’re **amazing** at it.”

Even so, as they turn and turn and turn again, taking each step carefully in time with the music, the Doctor can’t help but feel like something is off. They used to dance in the Vault and… She can’t pinpoint what’s wrong, what’s bugging her, but it’s throwing her off ever so slightly.

The song ends and they come to a gentle stop. The Master grins at her. “Wanna go again?” he asks as the notes of the next song start. She finds herself grinning right back and stepping a little closer, until she can wrap her left arm slightly around his shoulder. “Lead on.”

And he does.

This new song is faster than the first, and requires far more physical contact. Neither of them minds in the slightest. If anything, it only spurs them on further. The Doctor feels herself get pulled along by him in one moment, pulls him with her in the next. Their feet glide over the dance floor and their chests are pressed together. She can feel the single beat of his heart in his chest. Of course he’d conceal the other. She would have noticed, if she didn’t already know, she surely would have felt the second heart had they danced like this before.

They keep on dancing. To a slow song, another fast song, a lovely little song that the Doctor can’t help but smile at O the whole time for, a song that makes the Master grin at her several times because they used to dance to it, once upon a time, back when they were tentatively friends. She misses those times.

When Mr. Kans finally steps up onto a little podium for his big speech, they’re both out of breath and smiling like fools. The Doctor grabs his arm and leans against him, smiling.

“Do you have a plan?”

He smiles down at her and pats her hand. “A little. Do you think you can fake exhaustion so we can get you some water, maybe a quiet room?” Smart.

“Probably, yeah. In the hallway? In here is too obvious.”

When he nods, they start moving again. The Doctor makes sure to lean heavily against O, feels him wrap an arm around her protectively, and she puts a little stumble into her steps. “I’m not feeling well…” she says, perfectly breathy and innocent. O looks down at her, a worried frown on his face. “We’re almost out in the hall, luv. Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”

Together, they manage to step outside. They’re the only ones there, apart from one of the guards standing by the stairs. He looks at them sharply when the Doctor gasps and purposefully lets her foot slip. She crumbles to the ground, rolls her eyes back and hopes it’s convincing.

“Janey!” the Master calls out and then his warm hand is cupping her cheek, gently tapping it. Then his voice calls from above her: “Help! Sir, please, can you help me? My girlfriend just collapsed!” Footsteps approach them and the Doctor calms her hearts, gently coaxes the right one into stasis for now, in case the guard tries to check her pulse.

_(She tries not to think about the jump her hearts made when he called her his girlfriend. That’s a weird thought. What’d he do **that** for? What’d her **hearts** do that for?)_

A rough hand grabs her wrist and she keeps calm, even when all her senses scream (s _uspicion-calm-senseofduty-thethoughtofthemoneyhe’sgettingforthisjob-needthemoney-whyisthispersonfainting-hopeshe’snothurt-it’snotatrick-why’sshewearingasuit-weirdforawoman-shouldputhersomewhere-there’sasmallroomupstairs-isn'tthere?)_

The Doctor breathes through the guard’s feelings, unable to listen to him and O talk, tries not to flinch at every single emotion and every nice and nasty thought, tries not to show how much it burns to have him touch her like that.

Dancing with the Master almost made her forget that this body doesn’t like to be touched. Almost made her forget that this body is so highly telepathic that it picks up stray thoughts inches away from her skin and amplifies actual thoughts and emotions at the slightest brush of a hand against hers. She hates it. So much.

When the Master lifts her up into his arms, she curls closer immediately. Curled up in his arms like this feels brilliant. She relishes in the warmth as he starts walking, by the sound of their footsteps he’s following the guard up the stairs and then into a room.

She’s set down gently on a soft surface. “You can stay here for a bit, until the lady comes around again, but then you’ll have to return downstairs.” That’s the guard. He sounds a little nervous. Afraid he’s going to lose his job but compassionate enough to help them. Nice guy, even if his job is unfortunate. He needs the money for his daughter. She’s four.

Sometimes the Doctor really hates touch telepathy.

“Thank you. Thank you so much, sir. I swear, as soon as she’s awake again we’ll leave. Thank you so much.” Damn, but he’s **good** at that.

The guard’s footsteps get further away, then there’s the sound of a door being opened and closed, and then O’s voice whispers: “He’s gone. You can open your eyes, Doctor.”

Her eyes snap open and she sits up. They’re in a nice room and she’s sitting on a pretty blue sofa. The Master smiles down at her. “That was impressive,” he comments. She throws him a grin. “Well, I get to tweak those ridiculous male-female stereotypes now, right? Really, almost everyone would help a woman who fell down or fainted.”

She gently rubs over her wrist, tries to erase the guard’s touch from her skin as her hearts take on their regular beats again.

“He took your wrist, I wasn’t sure if he’d… You’ve got two hearts, I was afraid you’d have two pulses but he didn’t say anything.” O curiously looks at her hand and she curses herself for being so obvious about it.

“Yeah, I do, actually. Calmed one heart down a little. Special trick, but you shouldn’t do it for too long.” She slowly gets off the sofa and smiles at his fake-baffled expression.

“Come on, then, we still need to find Kans’ office and his laptop.”

The hallway is empty when they step out into it. With barely a word they split up and check the doors either side of the hallway. Finally, at the very end of it, O gives her a wave and she joins him. Kans’ office is boring and impersonal, but his laptop is right in the middle of his desk.

The Doctor quickly opens it and takes a seat. O stays at the door while she hacks the password. “What kind of files are you looking for?” she asks once she’s got it.

“Swap,” O requests and they trade places. While he types fast and downloads whatever data he needs, the Doctor stands guard at the door. No one in sight. Not a sound. Good.

“Done,” O exclaims after about five more minutes.

“Great, then let’s get out of here and back to the party. We don’t want to be suspicious now,” the Doctor suggests, waiting for him to hurry over to her side again.

Together they make their way back to the stairs and the Doctor leans against him again as they descend, pretending to still be a bit weak. The guard gives them a tight nod as they pass him and she smiles at him. It’s not even all that fake.

When they step back into the ballroom, Mr. Kans is finishing up his speech. Something about banks and finances and being rich. She doesn’t listen. It’s boring.

“And now I’ve talked enough. Enjoy the rest of the celebration!”

Under heavy applause, Kans leaves the little podium and the music starts up again. Without even thinking about it, the Doctor looks up at O. “One last dance before we leave?”

His grin is the Master’s and then she’s being pulled back onto the dance floor. “Of course. We’ve got to have our victory dance, don't we?” She finds herself chuckling as he pulls her close, so close their chests are touching again, and then they’re spinning.

She tries to enjoy it. She really does. But whatever bugged her earlier, it’s still there. What’s wrong?! Why does this feel different than normal? What is she doing wrong?

“Everything okay, Doctor?” O gently asks, looking at her with his head slightly tilted to the side. She slowly nods, then shakes her head. “I don’t know. Something’s off but I can’t…” The Master leads her into another spin and she follows, feels her hearts beat faster, feels his heart–

“Oh.”

That’s it.

“Yes?” the Master asks, and the Doctor snorts. “Funny.” She doesn’t care about the pun right now, though, not now that she finally knows what the problem is.

“I realized what’s wrong.”

He looks slightly concerned. Worried. “What is it?”

She shouldn’t. She can’t. “I’ll tell you once we’re out of here.” Maybe she will. Maybe she won’t. She doesn’t quite know just yet. For now, she just lets him pull her into yet another twirl. Now that she knows, it’s easy to figure out how to counteract the problem. Her movements become smoother, just that little bit, and she smiles up at the Master. He smiles down. It’s him, she thinks, not O. That is the Master smiling down at her.

_(His smile is **beautiful**. She wishes she could see it more often. Wishes they wouldn’t fight all the time, wishes they could just be friends again. After all these years, she thinks they deserve it.)_

When the song ends, O pulls her after him. Slowly they make their way through the room and towards the doors. A few other people are leaving, too, so they don’t stand out as much. The Doctor smiles at the guard as they leave. She should anonymously donate him some money.

Stepping out into the fresh air, the Doctor feels herself relax. “Today was really nice,” she admits, resting her head on his shoulder for a moment.

The Master grins down at her. “Despite the crimes we committed and the boring conversations and the whole fainting thing?” A laugh spills over her lips. “Yes, despite all that. It was still quite exciting, even if with less running around than on my usual adventures.”

They slowly make their way off Kans’ property. “I parked my TARDIS around the corner. D’you need a ride?” the Doctor asks, tilting her head to look at the Master. He gives her a soft smile but shakes his head.

“No, that’s alright. My car is only a few blocks away. But I’ll walk you to the TARDIS.”

She grins at him and without thinking about it she grabs his hand. Immediately after, her cheeks turn warm. She looks down. O’s hand is lax in hers and she almost lets it slip down again. Before that happens, however, the Master’s grip tightens and he laces their fingers together.

Her hearts start racing and a warm, fuzzy feeling spreads in her chest. She doesn’t remember the last time they held hands like this. It’s very nice.

They walk the short way over to her TARDIS with their hands linked. In front of the doors, they come to a stop and the Doctor turns to him. She doesn’t want to let go. She knows she **has** to let go. She **can’t** let go.

“So,” she says quietly.

“So?” he parrots just as quiet as her.

“I s’pose I should… get going now.” She doesn’t move.

The Master hums. He doesn’t move, either.

“Hey, you said something was off earlier and that you’d tell me once we’re outside,” he suddenly says. Right. She did say that.

Does she want to tell him? Yes. Yes, she really wants to tell him. It wouldn’t be too bad, would it, letting him know that she knows it’s him?

_(She wants him to stop pretending for just a moment, needs him to be himself for a second, just to make sure. She needs him but she doesn’t know where he is. Doesn’t know if he’s alive.)_

A little chuckle slips past the Doctor’s lips. She tugs him closer by his hand, until they’re chest to chest. Her free hand presses right on his chest, fingers splayed over his sternum, snugly between his hearts, the beating one and the silent one.

“The rhythm was off by one beat.”

She watches his face avidly as she says those words, watches as his eyes widen and tightens her grip on his hand. His eyes narrow at her and the façade drops.

“Doctor,” he says.

“Master,” she replies.

He exhales shakily, squeezes her hand so tight it hurts.

“When did you figure it out? You don’t seem surprised.” His gaze burns right into her eyes. She stares right back.

“Your message got a bit lost,” she admits with a crooked smile. “About two years off. Best you don’t mention this little adventure to past-me.” She can see the realization bloom on his face and pulls him closer, rises up a little and presses a kiss to his lips.

His reaction is immediate.

With a little moan, the Master presses her right up against the TARDIS, his hand slipping from hers to wrap around her waist, while the other cups her cheek. The Doctor moans in response and surges into the kiss. His lips are so soft against hers, the beard is scratchy against her skin, his tongue is hot in her mouth and she loves every glorious second of it.

The Doctor doesn’t know how long they stand there, shamelessly snogging against her TARDIS. She doesn’t quite care how long it’s been. It feels so good. She can feel his hearts beating against her hand, still on his chest, and she commits the feeling to memory.

Eventually, though, the Doctor pulls back. She has to. If she doesn’t, she won’t leave, and she has to leave. She knows she has to leave. This Master is not hers, not yet. This Master hasn’t stood on Gallifrey and begged for death yet. He will. She hates the thought but she knows he will.

The Master looks quite pleased when she draws back. “Well, that’s certainly a nice way to shut me up, but I haven't forgotten what I was going to say, Doctor.”

Damn it. Well, worth a try.

_(And the kissing was amazing, she can’t be mad it didn’t work out.)_

“Don’t, please. Whatever you’re about to say, you probably already told me. Or asked me. Or… Just… Don’t.”

_(Let me have this. Let me have this moment of calm before the storm. It’s all I have, it’s all I’m going to get in a long while. You’re gone, I left you, I lied to you, and I don’t know where you are, so please just let me have this.)_

Something in her eyes must have given away the desperation she’s feeling because he stays quiet, only looking at her.

With a slightly shaking hand, the Doctor reaches out and cups his cheek. “Thank you.”

_(Thank you for letting me have this. Thank you for telling me. Thank you for being here.)_

She presses a quick kiss to his lips and then, hearts heavy and aching, she pulls away and opens the TARDIS doors.

“See you around,” the Doctor says, half-plea, half-promise.

The Master raises a brow but smiles nonetheless. “I’m sure I will.”

She gives him one last smile and then closes the doors.

Her hearts protest. She doesn’t listen and instead gets the TARDIS to take off.

_(If she sends a message out into the universe, a desperate call for her oldest friend in the universe, no one has to know.)_

_(And if there are silent tears running down her cheeks, dripping down onto the console when she doesn't get an answer, well… The TARDIS is the only one to see.)_

** The End **

**Author's Note:**

> So.
> 
> Yesterday, when I posted the other story, I had 400 words for this. Then I stayed up until three in the morning and suddenly there were 5,400 words. I regret nothing.  
> (I regret everything, I'm so goddamn tired...)
> 
> A few thoughts I had while writing:  
> 13 fainting has Dean/Bela vibes (from Supernatural episode 3x06).  
> 13 and the Master snogging against the TARDIS made me think of Eleven going: 'It is not a snog box!' because yes, sweetie, it absolutely is.  
> The rhythm bit is party inspired by 'A Dangerous Tango' by smashedglassglitteringlikestars, because their fic is brilliant and I feel like the lack of one of their heartbeats would totally throw off the dancing.  
> 13 thinking 'Let me have this' is kinda inspired by river_of_words in her Thrissy fic 'What do I do with this?' but I only realized it after I'd written the words, heh.
> 
> I'm only going to write a small piece for tomorrow, I think. No, seriously, it's gonna be incredibly short. I'm rather afraid the day after will be long again and I've got to catch up on sleep! Ugh...
> 
> Anyway.  
> Stay safe everyone!


End file.
